A STUDY OF THE MECHANISM OF RADIATION-INDUCED GELATION IN MONOMER-POLYMER MIXTURES. %Period Covered<, May 1, 1961-October 31, 1963

Technical Report · Sat Nov 30 04:00:00 EST 1963

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/4102695· OSTI ID:4102695

Bernstein, B S; Odian, G

Polyfunctional monomers such as allyl methacrylate, adlyl acrylate, and diallyl maleate were found to greatly enhance the radiation crosslinking of many polymers. The radiation dose for incipient gelation of polyethylene is reduced by a factor of approximately 25; for polypropylene, the factor is 1500. Normally degradable polymers such as polyisobutylene and cellulose acetate were readily crosslinked at doses less than 1 Mirad. The ultimate scission/ crosslinking ratio for polyethylene and polypropylene is unchanged by the presence of monomer, and the swelling behavior of the gels follows the Flory-Rehner equation. Physical properties of the monomer-crosslinked polyethylene were markedly improved over the straight crosslinked polymer. High temperature properties of all polymers were improved. Polyvinyl alcohol film exhibits enhanced crosslinking when irradiated in the presence of methanol/water/allyl methacrylate mixtures. Incipient gelation occurs at 0.06 Mrad for a typical 99% hydrolyzed polyvinyl alcohol. 6,6 Nylon was crosslinked employing doses of 1--3 Mrads. A mechanism is discussed for the enhancement of polymer crosslinking via polyfunctional monomers. (auth)

• Research Organization: Radiation Applications Inc., Long Island City, N.Y.
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• NSA Number: NSA-18-008407
• OSTI ID: 4102695
• Report Number(s): RAI-329
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

ACETATES
ACRYLIC ACID
ALCOHOLS
ALKENES
ALKYL RADICALS
AMIDES
BUTYLENE
CELLULOSE
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CHEMISTRY
COLLOIDS
CONFIGURATION
DECOMPOSITION
DIAGRAMS
EFFICIENCY
EQUATIONS
ESTERS
EXPANSION
FILMS
HIGH TEMPERATURE
HYDROLYSIS
MALEIC ACID
MEASURED VALUES
MECHANICAL PROPERTIES
METHACRYLIC ACID
METHANOL
MIXING
MOLECULES
NYLON
ORGANIC ACIDS
POLYESTERS
POLYETHYLENES
POLYMERIZATION
POLYMERS
POLYVINYLS
PRODUCTION
PROPYLENE
PYROLYSIS
RADIATION CHEMISTRY
RADIATION DOSES
RADIATION EFFECTS
RADIOLYSIS
SOLUTIONS
STABILITY
TABLES
VARIATIONS
VISCOSITY
WATER